Just How Much I Care About You
by veronica.toon.7
Summary: A what-if story where Bambi listens to the Great Prince when Mena comes in. I wanted to do a story where instead of running away, Bambi takes his father's words and learns that the Great Prince has his best interests at heart instead of lashing out at him. Dedicated to Carmen738.


**A what-if story where Bambi listens to the Great Prince when Mena comes in. I wanted to do a story where instead of running away, Bambi takes his father's words and learns that the Great Prince has his best interests at heart. I decided to dedicate this to my good friend and fellow author, Carmen738, whose sweet and creative stories, which I recommend you check them out, inspired me to create this. Hope you enjoy it!**

 **I own nothing. Bambi and all its content belong to Disney. I don't own the cover image either.**

 **Enjoy the story!**

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Light filtered in through the full, midsummer leaves. The early afternoon sun had already started to cast shadows of the trees in the forest. A pond full of verdant green lily pads, water lilies, frogs and dragonflies lay to the side of a clearing. In the space between them, a great adult stag walked through, a young fawn by his side. The two were talking with one another. The fawn appeared full of energy and pranced all over about while the stag appeared tired and walked at a slower pace.

"That is the last time I let you eat blossoms before bedtime," he muttered. All of a sudden, the fawn bounded ahead before he stopped and hunkered down with his hooves spread apart.

"Wait. I hear trouble," he said as the stag came closer to him.

"What? What," the stag asked. His voice seemed a bit less tired now. The fawn's ears swiveled around before they perked up along with the fawn's expression.

"Hornets nest. Antler high." The stag had stopped and now turned his head up to the branches above his head. Sure enough, a papery nest with swarming wasps around it was just inches away from being hit by one of the stag's antlers. The young deer had just alerted and steered him away from many possible, painful stings if he had hit the hornets nest.

"Very good," the stag praised as he ducked his head away and began walking along with the fawn with the proud expression on his face. He then stopped again. "Wait." The fawn instantly halted. "Now I see trouble."

"Where? Where," the young deer asked as he looked around.

"Rival stag. Dead ahead," he said as he playfully narrowed his eyes at the fawn. "Ah, he's pretty small. Shouldn't be any trouble." The fawn then turned his head as the realization of his father's words set in.

"Oh yeah," he said as he turned around and hunkered down again. "I can be plenty of trouble."

"No. Not you," the male playfully teased.

"Yes me," the fawn replied as he prepared to charge. Suddenly, he dashed forward and quickly hopped away, just as the older male lowered his antlers down.

"Ha ha. Now you've had it," he said as the two began to jump around and pretend to charge one another. "Rrr."

"Gotcha," the fawn gleefully said as he slipped between his father's legs, forcing him to back towards a tree. The stag didn't quit, however, and he lowered his rack down towards his son, just as he threw his front legs down and they got caught in them. The buck cocked his head to release the fawn down onto his back.

"Aha. Who's got who," he asked at the giggling fawn. He leaned his head in towards his son's belly and blew a raspberry onto it, letting out more giggles from the fawn. All of a sudden, both stopped when a voice other from them came from near them.

"There you two are, heh." Both looked up and saw a friendly looking owl perched on a tree branch nearby.

"He-he-Hello Friend Owl," the fawn greeted between giggles.

"Oh, eh, he-hello," he stuttered. The stag immediately lifted his head up and let his son up. He gently pushed him to the side with his front leg as he began talking with the feathered flyer. He cleared his voice first to regain his dignified tone of speaking.

"Mmm, hmm, mm. I've ah, I've been meaning to speak with you."

"Ha, I've been looking everywhere for you. I'd thought you be by the meadow about now," he replied while using his wings to punctuate his words a bit.

"I'm afraid I've gotten a little- oomph," he said as the fawn suddenly charged into his chest and knocked some of the air out of him. "-distracted," he weakly finished while the fawn giggled merrily and started pressing his head hard against his leg.

"So I see. Well, heh, no matter. I usually...," his voice trailed off into muttering, before he cleared his voice and straightened up again. "Speaking of which, there's someone I'd like you to meet." The stag and fawn both turned over to the side. Friend Owl swept his wing towards a doe coming towards them. "Mena." She had the same coloring as the other deer in the herd, yet she had striking turquoise eyes. Her expression was calm and serene.

"Great Prince," she said softly and dipped her head down in respect.

"Bambi. Go to the den," the Great Prince ordered, but Bambi didn't appear to listen. Instead, he took some steps towards Mena.

"Bambi. I've heard so much about you. You know your mom and I grew up together," Mena said. Her voice was soft and inviting. She took some closer steps towards the both of them.

"You did," Bambi asked.

"Go to the den," the Great Prince repeated. Bambi looked back at him, his face still in it's happy expression from earlier.

"But I want to hear about mother," he replied. A gentle chuckle came from Mena.

"There will be plenty of time for that, once we get you settled in your new home," she said. Bambi suddenly gave a sudden gasp of surprise. His face changed from happy to sad almost instantly.

"You're sending me away," he asked.

"No," came the response from he Great Prince. Bambi started to protest a bit sadly, but his words came over them. "Just... just let me explain...," he started, but was cut off by him.

"But I did everything you said. I even heard with my hooves." His voice didn't bother to hide the feelings of betrayal and sadness he felt now.

"Bambi," he said, a bit sternly, but Bambi quieted down, minus the panting of breath. The Great Prince looked down and took in his appearance. How quickly he had changed from the playful, energetic fawn from just a few minutes ago to this shivering and possibly very frightened and confused young deer. He realized then that he couldn't talk to him like he would normally speak to him or another creature of the forest. He needed to be shown why this was happening, but he needed to know that was the true reason behind it. He needed to be shown that this was the best thing he could do for him.

The Great Prince took a deep breath of air through his nostrils and let it out slowly. The next thing he did shocked both himself and the other three who were there. The Great Prince of the Forest slowly bended one of his front legs in and gradually knelt before Bambi. Bambi's eyes widened in shock as the Great Prince got very close to him in eye level. The colossal stag let out a sigh before he focused his eyes with Bambi's, his rich brown eyes meeting his rust colored ones.

"Bambi," he repeated, but his tone was much softer and gentler now. Almost fatherly even. "I know this is hard to take in right now, but the reason why I'm doing this is because...", his eyes didn't betray his true emotions as he spoke the next words, "I'm your father, and as a father I want what's best for you. I know there's things I've taught you, but there's many more that I am just not capable of making you understand them." He motioned his head towards Mena behind them. Bambi turned to look at her. "But she can if you will allow her to bring you with her."

Bambi's eyes turned back to focus on his father. The Great Prince's eyes had never left him. "I need you to understand that I'm doing this because I love you son."

Bambi's eyes widened in shock. In all the time he spent with his father, not once had he ever heard him refer to him as his son. The Great Prince always called him by his name because he did not wish to get attached to the young fawn that he knew would be transferred away from him once a suitable doe to raise him was found. Instead, with all the time he spent with him, he had grown attached to his fawn.

The fawn he now called his son.

Bambi still stared in awe up at his father, still not daring to believe his father's, _his father_ , words of comfort, and almost even... fatherly affection. Mena and Friend Owl watched patiently behind the two, watching in great shock of what was transpiring.

The Great Prince gradually stood up straight again, going back to his regal and stoic posture once more. "Do you understand me, Bambi?" And just like that, even his voice had gone back to its princely tone. Bambi's ears lay back against his head as his expression held the same sadness he had in his eyes. His head dipped down solemnly in sorrow.

"I-I understand," he whispered quietly. A moment of silence passed between them, but then Bambi's head turned back up again. "C-can I at least say goodbye to all of my friends first" he asked. His eyes had a begging expression to them that made the Great Prince's heart ache with sympathy for the fawn, his child. He wanted to express all the emotions and thoughts on his heart and mind expressed towards him, but he had to remain strong. Such was a burden to bear from his years of teachings to be the protector of the forest.

The great stag nodded slowly at him. The least thing he could allow his child to do was say his last goodbyes to the ones he knew and loved dearly here.

* * *

 _"Time moves too quickly,"_ the Great Prince thought bitterly. It had been several months, since the wintertime, that he had taken Bambi into his care and guidance. Now the time had passed where he would now surrender his care and guidance over to Mena, a doe Bambi had just met that day. His heart only ached more. He didn't want to do this, he didn't want to give up one of the subjects that made his life, day after day, more enjoyable. He didn't want to leave his son.

After finishing up with his friends, Bambi was now back where they had started. The late afternoon sun stretched the shadows even more then earlier. Bambi's gait towards her was slower, more stoic and less cheerful than it had been that morning, but when he got close and stopped, she gave him a warm gentle smile, one he had to return. But it faded as soon as it came. Mena looked up once more and gave him a calm look before turning and starting to walk away with his fawn, his son.

Sudden then, to his astonishment, he saw Bambi stop and then turn around and charge towards him. His mind caught on two seconds after he looked down and realized what his son was doing. His head was nestled just between his shoulder and his chest and was nuzzling in the space between. The gesture was kind, yet quite brief and before he could do anything to reciprocate or respond to him Bambi had already left from his side and run back to Mena. And just like that, no hesitant steps, no backwards glances, both had resumed walking and soon they had disappeared from his sight.

He then did the same as well. He took a few steps backwards into the shade before turning and walking away, the shadows masking his sorrowful expression.

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 **I know the ending is sad and I could've kept going to the happier ending, but I felt that I should end here to stay true to the feel of the movie part that I was trying to capture. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed reading and I would appreciate it if you reviewed. Remember, reviews and loved and cherished. Thanks for reading. sincerely, v.t7.**


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